Duck Hill Aldermen voted unanimously during their regular monthly meeting to hire a new police officer.
Interim Police Chief Tim Gholston informed Mayor Al White and Board members the Duck Hill Police Department would be understaffed due to one officer undergoing a shift change at his full-time job.
“Orlando [Bolden’s] schedule has changed from nights to days. A couple of mornings, we’re not going to have anyone to cover unless we hire someone,” said Tim Gholston. “I’m going to try to take off a couple of days to fill in some of the spots in the morning time.”
Tim Gholston suggested hiring Cadaris Gholston, who has prior experience in law enforcement.
“I have one person in mind; that’s my brother. He can come in and fill in the morning shift until about [noon] or 1 p.m.,” said Tim Gholston.
He explained to board members that prior to Bolden’s shift change, he and Bolden “would work things out” between them to patrol the town as adequately as possible.
According to Tim Gholston, he will continue working nights, and Cadaris Gholston will patrol in the mornings.
Alderwoman Shernell Brown-Everette reminded Gholston there will be no one patrolling from 2 a.m. until 7 a.m.
Tim Gholston then told the board he will continue being on call during those hours of the morning.
Aldermen voted all in favor of hiring Cadaris Gholston as a police officer.
In other news,
The interim chief requested Aldermen agree to repair the air conditioning and replace tires on one of the police vehicles.
“The vehicles are in need of maintenance. We need two tires for the front of the Tahoe. The reason I haven’t been riding too much in it is because the air [conditioner] has quit in it. I’ve taken it to two shops, and it’s at the second shop now. They don’t have the equipment to hook up the line to it,” said Gholston. “So, right now, I don’t know who else to take it to except the Chevrolet [dealership] or something because everybody else I went to say they don’t have that particular hose to plug up to it.”
Aldermen voted all in favor on a motion made by Alderman Christopher Caldwell, which was seconded by Brown-Everette.
In other board news,
The Duck Hill Library will have Bingo with Senior Citizens from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday.
